Water of Leith Management Plan Prepared for Water of Leith Action Group By July 2010 Acknowledgements Thank you to all the organisations and individuals who provided information or comment during the preparation of this plan. This includes all those listed in Appendix A to this report, and those organisations and members of the public who commented on the draft plan. Prepared by Sue Bell Ecology: [email protected] on behalf of the Water of Leith Action Group Contents Page No 1. INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................1 1.1 Background to the plan......................................................................................1 1.2 Scope of the management plan.........................................................................2 1.3 Plan preparation ................................................................................................2 1.4 Structure of the plan ..........................................................................................2 2 SETTING THE SCENE......................................................................................4 2.1 The Water of Leith.............................................................................................4 2.2 Issues................................................................................................................4 3 MANAGEMENT PLAN.......................................................................................7 3.1 Vision ................................................................................................................7 3.2 Aims & Objectives .............................................................................................7 3.3 Actions ..............................................................................................................7 3.3.1 Ongoing actions................................................................................................9 3.3.2 New Actions that are a priority for implementation ..........................................13 3.3.3 Short Term......................................................................................................16 3.3.4 Medium term...................................................................................................19 3.3.5 Long term .......................................................................................................22 3.3.6 Actions to be implemented as opportunities or relevant circumstances arise ..22 3.4 Implementation and Monitoring........................................................................26 1. INTRODUCTION This is a management plan for the Water of Leith. It is designed to last for a ten-year period (2010 – 2020) and covers all the major uses of and interests in the Water of Leith. It includes actions to deliver environmental improvement for the Water of Leith, whilst balancing the needs of all stakeholders and user groups. The plan has been prepared for the Water of Leith Action Group (see Box 1) with funding from Scottish Natural Heritage, City of Edinburgh Council and support by the Water of Leith Conservation Trust, by Sue Bell Ecology. It is hoped that other stakeholders with an interest in the management of the river may wish to be involved in the implementation of the management plan. 1.1 Background to the plan A number of agencies and organisations are currently involved in managing the river. Some of these, such as the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) have statutory responsibilities for aspects of the river’s management, whilst others, such as the Water of Leith Conservation Trust (WoLCT), are voluntary organisations. A plan is needed to provide direction for all stakeholders and landowners over the future management of the river. Shared objectives and priorities will give clarity to the implementation of action along the river and a unified and agreed plan will mean greater support from all stakeholders. Defining roles and responsibilities and reporting on performance against objectives will deliver a more cohesive approach to the river’s management. It has been agreed by key stakeholders that the plan should be a working document that includes monitoring and is flexible enough to respond to funding opportunities, changes in key organisations and legislation. Box 1: Water of Leith Action Group The Group was established in the 1980s and meets twice a year to discuss issues that affect the management of the river. Current membership includes: Water of Leith Conservation Trust Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Forth Ports Water of Leith Honorary Bailiffs Scottish Wildlife Trust City of Edinburgh Council: City Development; Planning (Natural Heritage) City of Edinburgh Council: Bridges and Structures City of Edinburgh Council: Flood Prevention Team City of Edinburgh Council: Services for Communities; Environment (Countryside Ranger Service) Edinburgh Flood Prevention Group 1 1.2 Scope of the management plan The plan focuses on management of the river from where it leaves Harperrig Reservoir, to where it enters Leith Docks at the Victoria Swing Bridge. It also considers some aspects of management of Harperrig Reservoir, and the Bavelaw Burn, which is a major tributary of the Water of Leith. Within this area, the main concentration has been on issues associated with the river between Balerno and Leith. The Water of Leith Action Group identified a number of topics that should be addressed by the management plan: water quality, flow and flood prevention, biodiversity, geodiversity, habitat management and invasive species, access and recreation, planning and development, built heritage, landscape, archaeology, reservoirs, micro hydro, education and interpretation, and community involvement. These are all included in this plan. 1.3 Plan preparation The plan is based on existing published and readily accessible information. A digest of the information used is published in a separate volume as a series of topic papers. Discussions with key stakeholders were also carried out during preparation of the plan. A list of organizations contacted is contained in Appendix A to the topic papers. A public consultation exercise was carried out in May 2010. This document takes account of comments raised during the consultation exercise, and the wishes of stakeholders to participate in the plan’s delivery. 1.4 Structure of the plan This plan has been written for groups and organisations who are already involved in managing the Water of Leith, and who know and understand the issues that require to be addressed. These organisations have requested a management plan that is “action led”. For that reason this document starts with a summary of the key management issues and then presents a series of summary actions, which are contained in Tables depending on the priority with which each action should be implemented. The structure of the document is: • Section 2 provides a brief overview of the management issues facing the river. These have been identified through consultation with the key stakeholders, and have been extracted from individual topic papers prepared for the plan (which are provided as a separate document). • Section 3 describes the vision, aims and objectives for the management of the Water of Leith, and includes the actions required to meet these. The actions are divided into a series of tables based on the urgency with which they should be implemented. The plan is a stand alone document, but further background information for each subject area are contained in a series of supporting Topic papers, which are bound as a 2 separate document. Papers have been produced to address: management; biodiversity; fisheries; archaeology, cultural and built heritage; recreation and access; education and interpretation; geodiversity; landscape; planning; and water. Each paper summarises the historic and current situation, identifies current management initiatives, and identifies which of the overall aims, objectives and actions in the main plan apply to each topic area. Two Figures have been produced to accompany the plan. The first provides an overview of the environmental assets associated with the river, and shows the location of designated sites and features. The second shows the location of particular site management issues. These are also bound separately. 3 2 SETTING THE SCENE 2.1 The Water of Leith The Water of Leith flows over 24 miles (35km) from its source in the Pentland Hills to the Firth of Forth at Leith Docks. It passes through the historic villages of Balerno, Currie, Juniper Green, Colinton, Slateford, Roseburn, Dean Village, Stockbridge and Warriston. The Water of Leith walkway follows the course of the river for approximately 12 ¾ miles (18 km) from Balerno to Leith and passes through various City Parks and open spaces. River flow is regulated via discharges from Harperrig Reservoir. The flow in the Bavelaw Burn, a major tributary of the Water of Leith, is also regulated via discharges from Harlaw and Threipmuir Reservoirs. The upper reaches of the river lie within West Lothian Council jurisdiction, but the reservoirs themselves belong to the City of Edinburgh Council. The whole of the Water of Leith walkway lies within the City of Edinburgh Council area. Numerous statutory and non-statutory designations are in place for parts of the Water of Leith. The river itself has been identified as a Local Biodiversity